Our four indicators that you should go back to baseline with ServiceNow

Our four indicators that you should go back to baseline with ServiceNow and how we helped a large healthcare organization hit the reset button, maximizing their ServiceNow investment.

Going back to baseline is scary. The customizations and processes you’ve implemented were costly,and even though theycouldprevent you from stayingcurrent, you know them well and you’re fine with their limitations. It’s the devil you know vs. the devil you don’t. We get it. Unfortunately, effectively managing your ServiceNow platform is a key driver of organizational success, and if your ServiceNowplatform isconstrained, it hurts everyone.

Recently, we helped a large healthcare organization based in theMidwest(let’s call themBig Healthcare Co.) go back to baseline with their tools and processes. After scanning and evaluating their system, we were able to show Big Healthcare Co. that their outdated custom tools and work-around processes were creating crippling inefficiencies andhad generatedover1,000hours oftech debt.We helped them go back to baselinewith ServiceNowwhichdramaticallyloweredcosts, boostedproductivity, and reducedtheir tech debt by 894 hours(which is 85% better than similar ServiceNow instances).

What’s the benefit?

First, when considering a full reboot ofServiceNow, it’s important to understand the potential benefits to your organization. There areseveralpossiblepositive outcomes butwhen Big Healthcare Co.went back to baseline, theysaw immediate ROI in these specific areas:

Full ServiceNow utilizationOnce their system was upto date,theycould theneasily introduce new ServiceNow modules intotheirworkflowwithreduceddisruption totheorganization.

System-wide industry standardsIt often takes greater effort to removestaleprocesses than it does to start over. Starting over gave Big Healthcare Co.the chance to redesigntheirsystem based on current best practices and industry benchmarks, allowingthem to reap the full benefits oftheServiceNowplatform.

Should you start over?

As a ServiceNow elite partner, we’ve learned a few tell-tale signs that an organization needs to hit reboot with the platform.

Here arefour key thingsyoutoevaluate whenconsidering starting over:

1. How much tech debt do you have?Can you consistently and accurately measure your tech debt?Isyour tech debtconsistentlyover200 hours?

Big Healthcare Co. had over 1,100 hours of tech debt.Going back to baselinereduced that number to just over 100.

2. How do your measurables stack up?Can you accurately measure your configuration elements?Are the amount of scripts used to configure within an acceptable range?Is your ratio of configuration elements to issues below the industry average of 8.5%?

By starting fresh,Big Healthcare Co.went fromover85,000scripts tounder25,000 and lowered their configuration elements to issues ratio to under 6%.

3. Howcurrent is your platform?Are you using the mostup to dateversion of yourmodules?Is your upgrade cycle longer than your release cycle?Are there any areas ofyourplatform that are unusable?Are there any modules you wish you could use but know that implementing would be too difficult?Do you have a high number of customizations that bog down your system and prevent you from updating?

After going back to baseline,Big Healthcare Co. can now choose from the entire ServiceNow platform andeasilyimplement new modules.4. Upgrade IssuesIs the upgrade process unnecessarily hard?Do you skip warnings and upgrade anyway?Do you push upgrades without testing first?

Big Healthcare Co. no longerneedstofear regular upgrades. They cannowkeep their system current without the extended downtimes they experiencedprior.

Back to Baseline

Going back to baseline with ServiceNow isn’t for everyone,butfor Big Healthcare Co.(and many othercompanieswe’ve helped)itsignificantly improvedthe health oftheirorganization. If you’ve read through this list of considerations and a couple sirenswentoff in your head, that’s a good thing.You’re in prime position to reboot your ServiceNowplatformandcapitalize on afresh start.

Interested in talking to one of our experts to hear more? Get started with our next steps!